#47 - Up To Date
Edition #47 of the Lighthouse miniLetter!
You'll always get:
Three examples of great screenwriting
Two quotes about storytelling
One thing to think about
Plus some fun links at the bottom.
Three examples of great screenwriting
The Shield (Pilot)
Written by Shawn Ryan
“…revealing a BAG of dope taped to the bottom of his balls.”
I think we all know that they’re not going to show a full-on shot of someone’s testicles on broadcast television. But it’s in the script anyway, because it helps convey the tone and vibe of the world these people operate in.
It does make you wonder though, “How did they shoot that?”
The Thin Red Line
Written by Terrence Malick, Based on the Novel by James Jones
Malick’s character descriptions, like his films, are uniquely his own. Look at how much insight we get into these people, none of which is visual.
I don’t think this is wrong or right, but if there’s a lesson here, it’s to stay true to your voice.
Button Man (Pilot)
Written by Chip Riggs
I really enjoy the way Riggs casually talks to his reader here.
He pulls us in with a little bit of info that we can’t see, like “as best we can tell so far” and “whose name, btw, isn’t Ahmad or Buddy, but we’ll go with Ahmad for now.”
And even though we can’t see it, I think it’s essential for the read, so that we can understand the vibes of the scene (espionage-y) but also so we aren’t literally confused when the character has a different name.
And the way he does it is so inviting too. “btw” instead of “by the way.”
Just all around confidence, really fun to read.
Two quotes about screenwriting
“The one thing that I learned really early on is that you’ve got to surround yourself with the right people. Because you can’t change how people think — you can’t control how they’re going to think, how they’re going to behave. But what you can do is make sure the people that are around you not only protect you but want to be with you because of who you are as an individual.”
“The enemy of art is the absence of limitations.”
One thing to think about
Are you staying up to date on your own story?
If you did an outline, a treatment, a synopsis, or any other pre-document before you wrote the draft…do you revisit it?
I always recommend:
Keep an updated synopsis
Keep an updated outline
Maintain these as you make revisions.
Not only will it help you keep your story clear, but when your draft is done, you’ll always have these ready and forward facing for any collaborators.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had a treatment or synopsis requested and I had to rewrite it to match the draft before sending. Once I started maintaining as I went, I always had them ready and I also noticed that I had a stronger command of my story.
Funny how that works.
Are you staying up to date on your own story?
Have a great draft,
David Wappel
PS Don’t Miss
Don’t know the song you’re humming? Find it with this tool
If you need icons for a project, this is my preferred site to find them